Seaside Confessions
by Crimsonwings92
Summary: One-shot consisting of RikuxOc and SoraxOC. Very cute, I think, and the ending is sweet and romantic! I wrote this story as a dedication to my best friend for her 16th birthday and she thought I should see what other people think of it! SO read and review


"CANON BALL!!!!"

SPLASH!!!

"Ah! Sora!"

"You idiot! What did you do that for!?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

"Awww! I'm all wet!"

Sounds of laughter and shouts of anger could be heard coming from the little Play Island just off the coast of the main island we all know as Destiny Islands. We focus our attention on 8 teens that now occupied the beaches of the little island. Four boys and four girls who had decided to take the day to just chill with one another. Axel and Roxas were on the sand, building random sand castles, Spirit and Astrid were walking along the beach, collecting seashells for their collection, and Namine, Kairi, and Riku were relaxing in fold out chairs under beach umbrellas. "WERE" being the word. Their relaxation time, as well as Roxas' and Axel's sand castle building, was interrupted by Sora, who had unceremoniously decided to be a pain and do a cannonball, therefore soaking everyone in salty seawater from the splash. This action put the girls into a very feisty mood and pissed the guys off considerably, making Sora sweat drop nervously at the angry looks his friends were giving him.

"Uh, guys, come on, now! I was just having a little fun! No harm done!" he said, backing farther into the water when he saw Riku, Roxas, and Axel advancing on him.

"Guys? Guys? Look, I'm sorry ok?"

"Oh, you'll be sorry Sora!" Roxas snapped as he and the other two males jumped into the water after the brown, spiked-haired boy who yelped and swam for it.

"Yeah! Get him Roxas!" Namine cheered.

"Make him pay!" Kairi put in, pumping her fist in the air.

Both girls began laughing loudly as Riku and the others chased Sora around in the ocean water, eventually capturing him and inflicting the punishment they had in mind upon the poor boy. When Astrid and Spirit returned from their seashell hunting, they found a most peculiar sight. Kairi and Namine were practically falling out of their chairs in laughter as they watched Riku, Roxas, and Axel dunk Sora's head in the ocean water over and over and over again.

"Uh, someone want to tell me what's going on here?" Spirit questioned loudly, making the young men in the water stop their antics and the girls calm their laughing to giggling. "What did we miss?" Astrid asked after Spirit, coming from behind her taller friend. She looked around at everyone, waiting for her answer, when her eyes fell on Riku.

The minute their eyes made contact, both teens flushed red and looked away from each other in embarrassment. Everyone who saw this occur either rolled their eyes, grinned slyly, or giggled girlishly. (**A/N: Give you one guess on who did that!)** Everyone who knew Riku and Astrid knew that the two had a thing for each other, it was just as plain as day! No one could really tell when their feelings for each other started, but it became apparent as the days went by. Everyone knew that Riku and Astrid had a crush on each other, well, except for the two in question, of course.

"Is anyone going to tell us why Sora is being drowned mercilessly while you two just sit there and laugh?" Spirit said sarcastically, looking between Kairi and Namine to the four boys in the water.

"Well, Sora, the idiot, did this huge cannonball and splashed all of us in with the tidal wave he created!" Kairi explained, glaring playfully at the spiky-haired teen.

"Ooooooh…"

"Well carry on then,"

Spirit and Astrid chorused while Spirit added the last part as an after thought.

Abiding to her instructions, much to Sora's dismay, the three evil males resumed their antics while Spirit and Astrid joined the two other females on their blankets under the beach umbrella.

"So, how was shell-hunting?" Namine asked the two darker teens on the blanket next to their beach-chairs, "Get anything interesting?"

"Not much, but what we did find was worth the search!" Spirit said, picking up her pouch bag and dumping out its contents. Out came a small flow of multi-colored seashells, all piling onto the blue blanket. All colors of pink, blue, yellow, green, purple, red, and any in-between fell on the blanket, amazing the two paler girls in the chairs.

"Oh, wow! These are so gorgeous!" Kairi exclaimed as she and Namine joined the other two girls on the blanket to analyze the pretty seashells.

"I'll say! I didn't even know that Destiny Islands had shells like these. They're so breathtaking," Namine said in awe, as she inspected a soft pink conshell that had wisps of light blue following the pattern.

"This is the treasure that good old exploring reaps! Oh, by the way! Astrid found a really interesting one," Spirit voiced, looking at her shorter friend with a sly smile.

Astrid felt a blush cross her deep, tanned face as her golden eyes went wide with embarrassment.

"Oh, really!? Show us Astrid!" Kairi exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands. Namine, too, came closer to Astrid to see this interesting object.

"Well, it's not that interesting. Just a seashell," Astrid said quietly as she removed the said seashell from around her neck; she had laced it on a string on the way back from their treasure hunt.

"See?! She already had it strung!" Spirit laughed, indicating to Astrid's treasure. The treasure in question was a small seashell in the shape of a clam. It was a deep, shiny, turquoise color that glinted different shades of blue and green in the sun. And in the dead center of the tiny treasure was a small gem like glass that was shaped, check this out, like a papou fruit.

"Oh my god! This is so pretty!" Kairi exclaimed as she gazed at the seashell admirably.

"It is. You have great taste in seashells Astrid," Namine said playfully, though it was apparent that she was loving the sea-necklace.

"Thanks girls. I really like this one," Astrid replied.

"Take a guess on why she loves it so much," Spirit put in slyly.

"Shut up, Spirit," Astrid hissed, glaring at her best friend as a blush made it's way across her cheeks.

"She loves that shell because it reminds her of… Hey Riku!!" Spirit suddenly exclaimed, cutting herself off as said silver-headed boy approached the four girls, "How was your little dip?"

Riku, who was dripping wet with ocean water, shook his head and made all the water from his body splash onto the four girls, who screeched in response. Then he smiled a playful smile and said, "It was refreshing! Thanks for asking!"

Spirit took his towel off his chair and wiped her arms with it before throwing it at him and saying grudgingly, "Forget you, man."

Riku just smiled at her as he took his towel and dried himself off before taking a seat next to Astrid, who, in turn, blushed at least 5 different shades of red. He, too, felt a blush coming to his cheeks, but unlike Astrid, he was more capable of suppressing it than she was. Riku glanced at the shells strewn all over the blue blanket, his eyes dancing with the colors. He picked one up; it was a golden colored Mother of Pearls shell that glowed brightly in the sun and had, what actually looked like, a little panda in the middle.

"I like this one, it has a panda in the middle," he voiced, eyeing it closely.

"No way!" Spirit exclaimed, snatching it from the silver-headed boy and looking at it.

"You have to look closely to see it."

Spirit looked as close as possible, squinting her eyes in the process. After a few minutes, she gave a cry of approval.

"He's right! You have to squint to see it, but its there alright!" she said, handing it over to Astrid, who squinted at it too.

"Oh my gosh! It IS there!" she exclaimed as well, eyes gleaming brightly as she looked at Riku.

Said boy smiled sweetly at the shorter girl before saying, "See? I told you?"

Astrid blushed again before looking down at other shells on the blanket. Even though she couldn't help but be nervous around Riku, Astrid also felt unbelievably at ease around him. He just had this aura around him that made anyone feel comfortable around him. That's one of the reasons she loved him so much, because he never made her feel awkward to be around. Another, more significant, reason she loved him the way she did was because Spirit approved of him and he approved of Spirit. Astrid always valued Spirit's opinion on guys that might have been potential boyfriends. Spirit has had enough experience to know which ones were troublemakers, gold-diggers, or just plain out dogs. Because of Spirit, Astrid was able to avoid a lot of fatal relationships that would have left her dead either emotionally or physically. It didn't take long for Spirit to see that a lot of the guys that were trying to hook Astrid were nothing but pigs.

Then, Astrid met Riku; he was the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful boy she's EVER met, not to mention the most handsome. Astrid had fallen head-over-heels in love with Riku although it seemed a bit soon. She knew she had found her Prince when she met him, but then again, what did she know. The only one who could tell her once again if what she felt was legitimate was Spirit. So Astrid introduced the two, but for a while, Spirit didn't say anything about him.

"He's a tough one, I can't tell right now," She had said when Astrid had asked her about it, "I need a little more time."

So, more time she got, a full three months of more time. The wait was driving Astrid crazy! She thought she was going to go insane from the anxiety of waiting so long! But, finally, after three months, on a sunny, island day, Spirit gave her verdict.

"I think he'll be good for you Astrid, you should keep that one. He's worth it."

Astrid had been ecstatic, she had gotten Spirit's approval! And, to make things better, Riku loved to be around Spirit just as much as Astrid did! That was awesome! Her best friend getting along wonderfully with the guy of her dreams! What could be better?!…Well, actually GETTING the guy of her dreams would've been better, but we're working on that part.

'I wonder if I even have a CHANCE to get his attention,' Astrid thought drearily to herself, 'probably not, considering that there are so many other, more glamorous and beautiful girls that he could chose from. I'm just being too hopeful.'

"Astrid? Are you okay?"

Astrid blinked before jumping slightly when she felt a warm hand on her naked arm. She turned her head to the right to see Riku's aquamarine orbs staring at her worriedly. Her face flushed red and her heart began to race.

"U-um, yeah! I'm fine! Just…fine," she stammered as Riku's face crept closer to hers. His eyes seem to gleam a deep, ocean-color hue as he inched closer to the young Pan-American girl. He was so close that his hot breath grazed across the skin of her face and their noses nearly touched.

"R-Riku?" Astrid asked, feeling light-headed with confusion. Riku just smiled as his eyes began to close, his lips nearly touched hers, and Astrid could've sworn he was seriously going to kiss her. They inched closer and closer and just before they could get close enough…

"Hey guys!"

Sora popped up out of nowhere, soaking wet, and dripping sea-water on everyone as he bounced around excitedly. The interruption ruined the moment and Riku and Astrid pulled away from each other in record time. Astrid's face was on fire and her heart felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest. Riku felt the same way, being so close to Astrid that way, but he was more capable of hiding it than poor Astrid was.

"Ugh! What is it, Sora?!" Spirit exclaimed as she wiped the water off of her for the second time in less than 20 minutes. And it wasn't just the fact that Sora had wet her that irritated her, but also the fact that he ruined Riku and Astrid's moment. They were so going to kiss!

"Hehehe, sorry Spirit, didn't mean to wet you!" Sora said apologetically as he took his towel and helped to dry her arms and back off.

" Yeah, yeah, whatever, so what is it?" Spirit responded.

"I just came to see if anybody wanted to join in on a game of Beach Blitzball! Roxas and Axel are already going to play, so is anybody else in?"

"I'm down! This should be fun!" Spirit replied, eyes shining with excitement at the thought of a blitzball game.

"Astrid? Riku? How about you two?" Sora asked, looking at the two teens in question.

"Oh, uh, that's okay, Sora. Spirit's more of the sports freak. I prefer to just sit and watch," Astrid responded, smiling at the brunette.

"I'll just stay and watch with Astrid. I'm not up for a game right now," Riku said, smiling down at the young girl.

"Alright then! Come on, Spirit! Let's go!"

"Right behind you!"

Both Astrid and Riku watched as Spirit and Sora ran over to where Axel and Roxas were waiting for a game of Blitzball. Sora and Roxas were on one team while Axel and Spirit were on another. Bad idea considering Axel's long legs and arms and Spirit's swiftness and quick thinking. This should be an easy win for the two.

"Who do you think is going to win?" Astrid asked softly as she gazed at her taller, darker friend admirably.

"Spirit and Axel, for sure! No doubt about it!" Riku responded as he gazed at ASTRID with more than just a look of admiration.

Said girl giggled, "I guess you're right. Both have such an advantage over Roxas and Sora."

"Not only that, but Spirit will make it hard for Sora to concentrate."

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked curiously, turning her golden eyes to the taller, paler young man.

"I mean that Sora is crazy for Spirit," Riku responded, grinning slyly.

"H-He is!?" Astrid exclaimed in surprise, "Since when?! And how do you know!?"

Riku looked down at Astrid, "I read it in his journal. The boy is crazy in love with her! He denied it when I asked about it, but when I threatened to show everyone else his journal, he finally confessed."

"What did he say?"

"He said that he's never felt this way about any girl before. Sure, he's been on a few dates here and there, but none of them were as memorable as he thought they were going to be. It almost felt like he was just going out with a friend, which is what he said. But then, he met Spirit and everything turned around."

Riku stopped for a moment as he gazed at Sora who tried to defend Spirit when she had the ball, but just as Riku had explained, Sora was unable to concentrate and Spirit scored a point.

"Before he knew it, he had fallen in love with her. Her smile, her voice, her laugh, her fierce power, her attitude, her beauty, everything fascinated him. And Sora couldn't get enough. He felt lost without her and overly glad with her. He's got it bad, Astrid, but I don't think that that's necessarily a bad thing. I think this will be good for him, to know what it's like to love and have someone love him back."

Astrid gazed up at Riku, who still held a soft, warm smile upon his lips as he spoke of his best friend's crush. She couldn't help but agree with him, she thought Spirit deserved a nice, sweet guy like Sora too. But she wasn't sure if Spirit thought of him that way, she never said anything to Astrid about it. Unlike Astrid, Spirit was way better at masking her feelings than most people were. She's only seen her cry three times in her entire life, and every time, except for one, her face was devoid of any and all emotions as the tears rolled down her face. Before moving to Destiny Islands, Spirit lived a life of unspeakable hardships that forced her to harden up like a rock against anything that could hurt her. She always admired Spirit for being so strong but always felt that her strength was what made her feel that she couldn't show sadness in front of others and that made Astrid very sad.

That's why she was extremely happy to hear that Sora had such strong feelings for her Jamaican friend. Astrid knew that if there were any guy worthy enough for Spirit, it was Sora. He was just so sweet and kind and gentle; everything that she needed. Sora could show Spirit how to let her guard down, show her that it was all right to be weak in front of others and still keep her pride and dignity. Astrid always liked Sora and had secretly hoped that Spirit would take more than a liking to him, he would be the perfect match for her.

While Astrid was busy planning Spirit and Sora's wedding, she was already that far ahead of herself, she failed to notice Riku calling her.

"Astrid? Hello! Astrid? Are you okay?" Riku called out, gently shaking her shoulder.

Astrid jumped at the action, it felt as if fire had shot through her body at the contact. She turned her head towards Riku, her face flushing with embarrassment that she had been caught daydreaming…again.

"Oh! Uh…sorry Riku, I was spacing again I guess," She admitted, smiling sheepishly at the silverette as he looked down upon her in amusement.

Riku chuckled, "You do that a lot, don't you Astrid?"

Said girl turned even redder as she stammered, "W-Well, n-no, not that I-I'm aware of!"

"Hehehe, Spirit warned me about the little trips you take into la-la-land. I thought she was just exaggerating when she told me how many times a day you actually do it, but I guess she knows you better than I gave her credit for."

Astrid remained silent, but smiled all the same. Riku smiled back at her and they just sat looking at each other. Riku's eyes roamed Astrid's face, taking in all of her lovely features from her thick, black hair that fell about her face in waves, to her golden eyes, to her cute nose, and until finally they landed on her pink lips. His eyes strayed there the longest, admiring the way they parted curiously, as if she were about to say something, yet staying silent. He soon found himself wanting to feel those lips against his, to be able to taste how sweet they were. He moved so that he was facing her and gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting her head so that she was looking him dead in the eye.

"Ri-Riku!? Wha-What are you…?!" Astrid stammered, her face firing up.

Riku remained silent as he gazed into her golden orbs, getting lost in the brightness of her eyes. Although Astrid had no idea of what was going on, she made no effort to move away. Riku leaned in closer, his thumb running slowly over her bottom lip. Astrid shivered, her eyes beginning to close as Riku continued to inch forward. She felt his hot breath on her face once more, his lips were so close. Their lips gently grazed each other, sending bolts of electricity through their bodies. They were so close now, all Riku had to do was just lean a little closer…

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

"Oh my god! What was that!?" Astrid shrieked as she jumped at the sound of the ear-splitting scream.

"That sounded like Spirit!" Riku replied in a panicked voice.

"WHAT!? Oh no! Spirit!" Astrid shouted as she bolted from her place on the blue blanket to the area where Spirit, Sora, Axel, and Roxas were playing Blitzball, Riku hot on her heels.

The two teens ran to the small stretch of beach that was just big enough to hold a Blitzball game to see everyone else already there. Kairi and Namine were holding each other, a look of panic and worry evident on both their faces. Axel and Roxas were leaning over something, the same look of worry flashing in their eyes. Spirit and Sora were not seen right away.

"What's going on?! What happened!?" Astrid exclaimed as she pushed through the small crowd, only to stop in her tracks and gasp in fear at what she saw.

Spirit was there, sitting on the sand that was now stained red. She was nursing her left arm, which was pouring blood from a deep gash that ran at least 3 inches down her arm. Sora was sitting with her, looking over the wound and cradling it. Spirit looked as if she were in agonizing pain, but she said nothing, she only let out small gasps of air as she tried to block out the pain.

"Oh my god!!" Astrid exclaimed as she wobbled a little, feeling faint. Riku held her steady, but could not keep his eyes off of Spirit's gushing arm.

"Someone get a towel! Hurry!" Sora shouted.

Roxas quickly went to get the item requested. Sora turned back to Spirit, speaking softly and comfortingly to her. She didn't hear any of it, she just sat there, staring at her arm and taking deep, shaky breaths. Her arm was shaking drastically as blood dripped from the open gash, staining the golden sand even more. Although her face didn't give off any emotions, her lime-green eyes practically screamed pain. A second later, Roxas was back with the towel he was ordered to get and quickly gave it to Sora who took it and wrapped it tightly around Spirit's wound. Spirit's eyes clenched tightly shut as she hissed in pain at the pressure. She reached out and grabbed Sora's arm and squeezed his hand fiercely in an attempt to alleviate her pain.

"I know it hurts, Spirit, but we have to keep pressure on it to stop the blood flow," Sora tried to comfort, his heart clenching painfully. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Spirit in any way.

"H-How did this happen?!" Astrid asked shakily, staring at her friend in horror.

Wordlessly, Spirit reached into the sand near where she sat. A moment later, she pulled out a jagged piece of broken glass that was stained with sand and blood. Everyone there gasped in horror at the object.

"I…fell on it," Spirit choked out, gasping for air as more pain shot through her arm.

"W-well c'mon! Let's get her to the hospital before it gets worse!" Axel urged.

Sora nodded and everyone helped Spirit get to the rowboats where she would be transported to the main island for help. All 8 teens rushed to the dock where the rowboats were tied up and hopped in, rowing away. The only remnants left of their once fun, laid-back day at the beach gone bad that was left were the beach umbrellas, beach chairs, beach blankets, ice cooler, bags of beach supplies, a blitzball, and blood-stained sand.

At the Hospital

"Could you tell us what room number Spirit Simoun is in, please? We're her friends and we want to visit her."

The island hospital isn't very big, but it's sufficient in its work. Unlike hospitals in the big cities with white walls and a stench of sterilizers and all the doctors wearing white jackets with a sense of dread followed by death, the island hospital has color and personality. The walls all over were painted in various colors according to the floor one finds themselves on. For example, the walls of the Waiting Room were colored a deep green color, matching that of the trees that grew all around the island. The chairs were of a lighter green and plush for comfort. For the sake of scenery and a sense of island life, paintings of animals, birds, and fish were made upon the walls and the fresh scent of paopu fruit hung sweetly in the air.

The receptionist, a woman of maybe 27 years old wearing a pink nurses pants and a multicolored nurses shirt, looked up from her computer to the 10 teens standing near her desk.

She smiled warmly, "Of course, sweetie. What was the name again?"

Sora, who had been the one to ask, repeated the name again, "Her name is Spirit Simoun."

The nurse, her name tag read Betty, looked through her clipboard sitting beside her. After a moment or two, she exclaimed in success.

"Ah hah! Here we are! Spirit Simoun, room 244! Go right down this hall and make a right, it'll be the second door on your left!" Betty said cheerfully, smiling at the 7 teens.

"Thank you very much!" Sora said to her, just as cheerful, before he and the others that came with him went in search of Spirit's room.

"You're welcome!" Betty called back, waving them off.

"Ohhh! Do you think she's okay!?" Selphie questioned, looking at everyone anxiously.

"Sure she's okay! I mean, Spirit's a fighter! She can never go down that easily!" Axel replied optimistically, or, at least, tried to be optimistic. Even he felt a little worried about our favorite Jamaican girl.

When they had rushed Spirit to the emergency room and had her examined, the doctor told them that the cut was very close to her vein and chances were she might have scraped it.

"Axel's right! Spirit will be okay, I'm sure of it! I mean, it's in her name! Spirit, who can never be broken!" Tidus put in, adding to Axel's optimism.

"Ya mon! Spirit's way strong, she'll get better in no time!" Wakka said, smiling.

Everyone else agreed with each statement, but all felt equally anxious. They all loved Spirit and the thought of her being in the hospital made them feel as if she were awaiting death. They all tried to stay optimistic though, for Astrid's sake as well. Spirit, literally, was Astrid's sister, although it was by adoption. They basically grew up their entire lives together, having met when in diapers due to their mothers being close friends since high school. When Spirit's parents died in an accident, leaving the poor girl an orphan at he age of 13, Astrid's parents adopted her as their own daughter, thus making Spirit a permanent member of the Rodriguez family. Astrid always had Spirit by her side, so you can only imagine what was running through her head at the thought of her sister being in a place like this.

'I hope she's okay. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Spirit,' Astrid thought to herself. She could feel tears well up in her eyes and she fought desperately to fight them, only to curse herself when they slipped down her cheeks.

'Darn it! I can't even keep myself from crying! Why can't I be strong like her!? I'm so weak!' she thought, reaching up to wipe her tears away.

Riku, noticing the action, stopped and took Astrid by the shoulders. He looked down at her teary face and felt pain stab him in the heart. He didn't want to see her like this, it hurt him too much. Riku gently brushed his fingers against Astrid's cheeks, wiping away the tears, before he gathered her into his arms.

"It'll be alright, Astrid, I promise," he whispered softly, hugging her form closer to him.

Astrid buried her face in his chest as she pressed her body as close to his as possible, feeling the reassuring warmth seep into her skin. The scent of fresh paopu fruit and ocean water filled her nostrils as she inhaled the scent that only Riku held, feeling all worries just slip away. She knew Riku was right, he always was, and she was a fool to think otherwise.

"Okay, I feel better now," Astrid sighed, pulling away to look at Riku, "I want to see her now."

Riku smiled at her, chuckling slightly at the cuteness that only Astrid could portray. He took her tiny hand in his and said, "Then let's go, I'm sure she's waiting to see you."

Astrid smiled in return and nodded her head as she and Riku headed for Spirit's room. They stood in front of her door and Riku knocked on the wooden blockade.

"Come in!" a cheerful voice answered back.

Riku and Astrid looked at each other, relief washing over them, as Riku pushed open the door. They walked into the brightly-lit room, washed over with the rays from the sun. The walls were painted a light, lavender color and had tropical island flowers painted along in splendid colors. The light green curtains swayed gently in the breeze coming from the ocean nearby and added to the darker green colors of the bed sheets. And lying in the bed was a bright and smiling Spirit.

"Spirit!" Astrid exclaimed as she ran up to her sister and gave her the biggest hug on the face of the planet.

"Hey, love!" Spirit said, hugging her sister back to the best of her ability considering all of the UV's in her arm.

Riku stepped forward as well and gave her a hug too, "How do you feel, Spirit?"

Said girl looked down at her now bandaged arm, "Well, I could be better, but I'm alive, so I guess that counts for something."

"Thank goodness! I thought we were going to lose you for a moment!" Selphie exclaimed.

"Yeah! When we heard that you were in the hospital, Selphie nearly fainted and Wakka almost had a heart attack! Good thing I was there to keep them from losing their minds and hurried them hear as fast as possible!" Tidus announced proudly, grinning.

Selphie puffed out her cheeks, "Whatever, Tidus, you liar! When we got that call, you were freaking out and almost got hit by a car!"

Tidus blushed immensely, "Shut up, Selphie! No one needed to know that!"

Everyone busted out laughing at a now red Tidus, filling the room with the youthful energy and cheerfulness that was lost only a few hours ago. Spirit turned to Tidus with a happy smile on her face.

"Thanks for caring about me Tidus," she said, leaning over and putting her fingers under his chin, "You're a really great friend and I'm sure you'll make an awesome boyfriend." With that, the hospital patient leaned in and gently kissed Tidus on the cheek as a sign of her sisterly affection.

Tidus's face turned bright red from the action, "Th-Thanks, Spirit!"

"So? When did the doctor say you would be out?" Axel asked the Jamaican girl, who turned to him from watching Tidus nearly pass out, so much blood was rushing to his face.

"I hope they'll let you out before the Paopu Festival tomorrow! It won't be as much fun without you!" Kairi exclaimed, looking worriedly at Spirit.

"Don't worry, girl. The doc said I'm doing fine, but that I should stay the night to make sure that everything is runnin' cool. He said I'll be out of here by morning," Spirit explained to all of her friends.

"That's great! I would feel horrible if Spirit had to spend the festival in a hospital bed!" Namine exclaimed, happiness showing on her face.

"Same here! Besides, without her, we couldn't do the fireworks show! Axel's always an alternative, but do we really want to risk him being anywhere near explosive objects?" Roxas announced, looking at the redhead.

"No!" Everyone chorused.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I'll burn the island down!" Axel retorted.

"Heck no!"

"No faith whatsoever!"

The 10 teens aside from Axel burst into laughter, poking fun at the bristling redhead. Spirit calmed down a little and looked at Sora who was sitting beside her. Said brunette looked at her as well and a knowing look past through the two of them.

"Hey, you guys?! I'm a little hungry, can one of you go and find a nurse for me?" Spirit said innocently, cocking her head to the right.

"Why don't we all go?! I'm sure everyone here is feeling a little hungry too! Especially Tidus! The guys a bottomless pit!" Selphie joked, poking the blond in the cheek.

Tidus swatted her hand away, "Yeah, well, I'm nowhere near as bottomless as Sora! That guy eats tons of food yet never gains a pound!"

"That's true! I've seen it myself!" Riku put in.

"Hehehe, come on, you guys, let's get the patient something to eat," Astrid ushered as everyone got up to leave, "You coming Sora?"

"Oh, I'll wait here with Spirit. I don't want her to be alone," the brunette answered.

"Aww! You're so sweet!" Spirit exclaimed, patting his cheek. Sora looked about ready to melt into her hand, but quickly composed himself before someone noticed.

Riku and Astrid exchanged knowing glances and smiled at each other. "Okay! I'll guess we'll get going then!"

The 9 teens left the hospital room in search of the cafeteria, leaving Sora and Spirit alone together. Once the last teen had left the room and closed the door, the two teens left in the room sighed.

"Man, what a way to ruin a fun day. I'm sorry about this," Spirit voiced, looking out the window.

"It's not your fault, Spirit. It was just a freak accident, that's all," Sora comforted, putting his hand on her injured left arm.

Spirit merely shook her head, "Riku and Astrid were getting so close and I ruined it! I can't believe I did that to her! It was all running so smoothly!"

"It's okay, Spirit! Riku and Astrid will have their time, but right now, we need to focus on you," Sora said, brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek.

"What's there to focus on? I just cut my arm. The doctor says I'll be fine," Spirit said in an emotionless voice. Sora quickly recognized what she was doing, she was trying to shoot down any worry he held for her and focus on something else that she considered far more important. She was trying to be strong for the sake of everyone else, when she didn't need to be; Sora was not going to let her do that.

"Maybe if we can get them together tomorrow at the festival then they'll finish what they started. The tricky part is just getting them alone without everyone else interrupting," Spirit voiced to herself, getting lost in her own thoughts.

"Spirit, that's enough!" Sora said firmly, surprising the poor girl, "As I said before, Riku and Astrid will have their time! Right now, we're all focusing on YOUR well being! So stop worrying over something so insignificant!"

Spirit's eyes became hard, "Astrid's happiness is not insignificant and, as I said before, I. AM. FINE!"

Sora stared straight into her eyes, holding his ground against her fierce gaze, or, at least, trying to. Spirit stared back, her gaze holding fast and steady. A minute went by, then two, then three. Sora was weakening; he couldn't deny her any longer. He sighed in defeat before taking a seat next to Spirit once more.

"Alright," he said in a soft tone, "We'll focus on Riku and Astrid."

Spirit's eyes softened and a smile grazed her features. "But only because I want to see them happy just like you do, so I'll help you give them that extra push. Then, when this is all over, promise me you'll settle down and be about YOU for once."

Spirit's smile faded slightly; she was seriously going to deny the deal, but one look into his perfect sky blue eyes weakened her.

"Okay, I promise," she answered him.

Sora smiled warmly and took her hand, "Thank you, you have no idea how happy and…relieved you just made me feel."

Spirit felt a sudden rush of heat fill her cheeks and her heart begin to pound against her chest, "You're…you're welcome."

'What on earth is this strange feeling?' was the thought running through her pretty head.

Next Day

The sun shone brightly on the small building of Destiny Island's Hospital, illuminating it in a brilliant ray of light. Our attention focuses on a rather large group of teenagers exiting through the hospital doors, all surrounding a single, dark-skinned figure. Spirit squinted up at the clear, azure sky, taking in a deep breath of fresh, island air.

"Oh, man, does it feel good to be free again!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms towards the sky, only to regret the action a second later. She recoiled her left arm as pain shot through her body. Her friends rushed to her side in alarm.

"Spirit, don't push yourself too hard! You'll end up back in that place if you're not careful!" Astrid exclaimed.

Spirit laughed lightly, "Sorry, love, I guess my excitement got the better of me."

"Well, let's hope too much excitement won't kill you! In case you've forgotten, tonight is the Paopu Festival and we can't have fun without you!" Kairi pronounced a big, cheeky grin on her face.

"That's right, Spirit! What would the festival be without you and Astrid!?" Roxas voiced, swinging his arm around the Jamaican girl.

"Alright, alright, you guys! Before we start having fun, how about letting me get home and resting up, ya?! Gotta make sure I'm all ready for tonight!" Spirit asked, smiling at all her friends.

"Of course! And we girls will come by later to help you pick out the perfect outfit!" Selphie shouted excitedly.

"Oh…yay," Spirit said, not exactly liking the idea of being dressed by her all-too-feminine girl friends.

"Sounds like fun! See you later on tonight, Spirit! You too Astrid!" Kairi exclaimed, waving good-bye to the two sisters as she and the other girls made their ways home.

"Oh, joy! Can't wait!" Spirit shouted back in sarcasm, waving them off.

"You're not serious, are you?" Astrid asked her.

"Heck no! I'm terrified!" Spirit answered, causing her sister to laugh. Both girls turned towards the guys to say good bye before they all headed home.

"Thanks for coming to get me guys, really! I appreciate it!" Spirit said thankfully, giving each guy a hug.

"No problem Spirit! What kind of friends would we be if we just left you hanging?" Tidus remarked, nudging her playfully in the side, causing the girl to giggle.

"Friends who I would consider flaky and disown immediately," Spirit retorted back just as playful.

When she hugged Riku, he gave her an extra warm hug, "I'm glad you're okay Spirit, I don't know what we'd do if anything serious had happened."

Spirit let him hug her, "Aw, come on you guys! It's me! Ya know I ain't goin' down without a fight! Hahaha!"

Riku nodded his head before stepping away; he really did love Spirit as a sister because of her strength and fierce will power. He couldn't ask for a better person to be Astrid's sister, this way he knows that Astrid is always protected.

"So, we'll see you girls later tonight then, right?" Axel asked the two ethnic girls.

"Definitely! It's going to be so much fun!" Astrid exclaimed, throwing all 6 boys a bright and innocent smile. Riku couldn't help but blush slightly at the adorable sight; he really did love her for all the little things she did subconsciously.

"Right! See you girls later, then!" Sora called as Spirit and Astrid turned to make their way home.

Both girls turned back to the 6 boys, beautiful smiles on their faces and said, "See you later!"

That time, all the boys couldn't help but blush at them. Truth be told, everyone thought that Spirit and Astrid were the most beautiful girls on the island. Astrid for her adorable face and sweet smile and Spirit for her lively green-eyes and wild will to live.

"Man, I can't wait to see what those two will wear to the festival," Tidus said in a dream like state as he watched the girls walk away.

"All I know is that they can wear paper bags and still look good," Wakka put in, seeming to drool from the side of his mouth.

Riku and Sora, not exactly liking the way Tidus and Wakka were talking about the girls they hoped to win over, turned their narrow eyes towards said accused boys.

"Maybe WE should start heading home too, don't you think guys?" Sora asked, crossing his arms. Tidus and Wakka said nothing as they continued to watch the girls walk away.

"Hello?" Sora tried again. Nothing.

"Alright, that's enough! Let's get going before you two drown in your own drool!" Riku concluded, pushing the two dazed boys away towards their homes. Axel and Roxas followed suit, chuckling silently at Riku and Sora's reactions.

The Play Island

It's the night of the festival and both the main island and the Play Island are alive with excitement. The Paopu Festival is time where love is either found, broken, or mended a new. Couples and soon-to-be couples celebrate the night by sharing with each other the legendary paopu fruit, which is said to bind those who share it together forever. It's also said that whoever shares the juice of the paopu and a kiss right after under the light of the full moon will be blessed with a happy life for the rest of their days. It truly was a magnificent holiday for Destiny Islands.

We focus our attention on the Play Island, where we find a large group of teens gathered under the decorations they had set up themselves. Strings of lights, all glowing in the shape of the paopu fruit, were hung about the trees of the island, bathing everything in a bright, yellow-ish glow. All the teens were talking, laughing, and just generally having a good time. They had already been to the festival on the main island and visited the booths there as everyone else had. Now, they retreated to their Play Island where they were going to have their own festival as friends. Spirit had put together a fireworks show just for that day, a show so spectacular that everyone just HAD to see it.

Astrid, dressed in a yellow, flower dress that matched her eyes and fit her slender form perfectly, stood with Kairi, Namine, and Selphie in a small circle. The girls were gushing about how cute the boys looked tonight since everyone had dressed especially nice yet casual for the occasion.

"Ohhhh! Tidus looks so cute! I just can't stop looking at him!" Selphie exclaimed, turning red as she glanced at the dirty-blond boy.

"I know how you feel, Selphie! My Roxy looks so handsome!" Namine gushed, stealing a look at her boyfriend who was helping Sora, Axel, and Spirit set up the fireworks.

Astrid agreed with the swooning girls, but her eyes were glued to only one. She stared at Riku who was talking with Tidus and Wakka, his deep, velvety laugh reaching her ears. She began to turn red when he turned and made eye contact with her, a smile spreading across his face. Astrid squeaked, before turning back to her girl friends, hiding her nervousness.

Riku stared at Astrid's petite form, relishing on how cute she looked in her yellow dress with a blush forming on her cheeks. Tonight was special for the older male for tonight was the night that he was going to confess his love for Astrid. He couldn't keep his feelings a secret anymore, afraid that all that hiding was going to explode from within him. So he was going to put it all out there for Astrid to either accept him or break him.

"Hey guys, I'll be back," he said to Tidus and Wakka as he made his way towards Astrid.

Said girl saw him approach and immediately felt a fierce blush form on her cheeks. "Hey Astrid," Riku said warmly.

"H-Hi Riku!" she answered back, her nervousness hitting her hard.

"You look pretty tonight," Riku complimented, pulling on her dress a little.

Astrid giggled nervously, feeling her entire face turn red, "Thank you! You look really nice tonight too!"

Riku smiled in return before letting an uncomfortable silence settle over them. They fidgeted around each other, wondering what the other would do next.

"Look, Astrid. I have somethi-," Riku started, but was completely cut off by a shout from Spirit.

"Axel, put that down! I swear if you ruin this show because of your obsession with fire, I will burn you twice over!!" Spirit shouted angrily, snatching a lighter from the pyromaniac who was standing too close to the fireworks with the light.

"I wasn't going to do anything Spirit, honest!" Axel responded, accidentally kicking a box of fireworks when he stepped back. Spirit nearly lost it.

"AXEL!! I SWEAR!!" She shouted, looking about ready to mutilate the redhead and probably would have succeeded if Sora had not intervened.

"Um…look, can we go somewhere a little more private?" Riku asked, keeping a wary eye on the murderous Spirit.

"Oh, sure!" Astrid complied as Riku took her wrist up and walked her over to the small deck where the oddly shaped Paopu tree grew.

There, the two sat down in a now comfortable silence, looking out over the glistening ocean. Riku stole glances at Astrid every now and then to see a peaceful smile cross her features. She loved the ocean, not only because it was a calming source for her, but also because it reminded her so much of Riku. Strong, silent, comforting, and always constant, that was the way that both Riku and the ocean were and Astrid found this constant revelation comforting.

"Um… Astrid?" Riku asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Hmm?" Astrid answered, unusually calm around the silver-headed boy.

"Astrid, I…I want to tell you something," Riku stated, a blush overcoming his cheeks.

"Alright?"

Riku looked at her face, curiosity shining in her golden eyes. "Maybe you should sit down," he said as he lifted her onto the bent Paopu tree, where Astrid made herself comfortable.

"What's the matter Riku?" Astrid asked, putting her tiny hand on his arm.

Riku looked down at her hand for a moment before taking it up and holding it to his face, "Astrid, I don't want you to get mad at me or hate me or be disgusted with me for what I'm about to say."

Astrid's curiosity grew more and more.

"For a long time I've felt this way and I just don't think I can hold it in anymore," Riku continued, not meeting her gaze.

Astrid, looking down at him and feeling some of Spirit's strength rise within her, placed her hand underneath his chin and lifted his head. "What are you saying, Riku?" she asked.

Riku looked into her golden eyes, "I'm saying that…Astrid, I love you."

Astrid's eyes grew as wide as saucers, not able to believe her ears. Did Riku just say that he loved her? Couldn't be?…Could it?

"Wha-What?" She asked in disbelief.

"I love you, Astrid, more than anything in this world. I can't go one day without thinking about you, wondering how you're doing and what you're thinking about. I hate to see you cry and love to see you smile," Riku looked up at her, "Especially when you smile at me."

Astrid stared at him incredulously, "I know that it's a shock and you may not feel the same way about me, but I just had to tell you, tonight, or else the secret would have killed me."

"Riku…"

"You probably hate me, now, but I don't care, I just had to tell you," he continued.

"Riku…"

"I hope we can still be friends Astrid, that much I-," Riku was cut off, by a soft finger placed to his lips. He looked up to see Astrid smiling at him, her eyes dancing with the light from the moon.

"Hehehe, I love you, too," she responded, a blush forming across her cheeks.

Riku's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. She loved him! Astrid loved him! She didn't reject him at all!

"R-Really?!" Riku asked, staring into her eyes excitedly.

Astrid, blush and smile still in place, patted her lips with her finger and said, "Really, really."

Riku, taking the hint, leaned closer to the Pan-American girl, his warm breath caressing her skin as it did the day before. The inched closer together, their noses almost touching just as they had done yesterday, only this time, there weren't any distractions. Astrid brushed her lips against Riku's timidly before the older male closed the gap completely. The kiss was sweet and innocent, a most wonderful first kiss for the both of them. Riku marveled at how soft Astrid's lips were, never wanting for the kiss to end. At that exact moment, something screeched into the air and exploded against the night sky in brilliant colors. Riku and Astrid pulled away to see what had happened, that's when another explosion went off. Spirit had gotten her finally gotten prepared and was displaying the fireworks show. Bright colors of red, green, blue, yellow, and purple exploded in the sky, illuminating everything in it's awesome light.

Riku looked back to Astrid, who in turn looked back to Riku, and they both smiled at each other.

"Do you think we need to share a paopu fruit in order to make this official?" Astrid asked shyly. Another firecracker went off in the sky, this time in the shape of, guess what?, Astrid and Riku sharing a paopu fruit! Hahahaha!

"No, I think Spirit's got us covered," Riku remarked jokingly, leaning in for another kiss from his new girlfriend.

"I love you, Astrid," he whispered against her lips,

Astrid giggled, "I love you, too, Riku." Then, their lips met.

Spirit, watching from afar the scene that displayed before her, smiled warmly at her friend.

"Way to go, love," she whispered, feeling happiness swell in her heart.

"Looks like our plan worked," Sora voiced, coming to stand next to her.

Spirit chuckled, "Yup! I can't believe how well it worked out! That fake fight was genius Sora!"

"Anything for you, Spirit," Sora answered, gazing at her warmly as he inched closer.

"Oh! Well…um…Sora?" Spirit stammered, feeling a little nervous when the strange feeling came back again.

"Uh huh," Sora said, getting closer.

"Well, I just wanted to say…"

"Yeah…"

"That…well…I…"

"Mhmm…"

"I think I…I think I lo-," she was about to say before Sora cut her off with a soft kiss. Spirit's heart swelled over at this point, not only from shock, but from happiness as well.

Sora parted away from her, "I love you, too, Spirit."

Said girl sighed happily as Sora gathered her in his arms, holding her protectively. The fireworks continued to blow in the sky, the teens upon the island cheering at the display.

"Great job, Spirit!" Kairi exclaimed, turning towards the girl.

"Thanks…Kairi," Spirit breathed, still lost in the kiss and Sora's warm embrace.

The night was magical for all teens, especially for the two new couples that sat and watched the fireworks together. Astrid turned to Spirit just as Spirit looked at Astrid. The latter smiled at her taller sister and mouthed 'Thank you' to her while blowing her a kiss. Spirit smiled back and mouthed 'You're welcome' and caught the kiss. Both girls knew that today was the start of a blessed and happy life.

**THE END**

**A/N: **This story is dedicated to my best friend, Astrid Rodriguez. You're the best Astrid and I love you! Keep your head up and if you need me, I'll always be there for you, no matter how big or small your problem may be! Happy Sweet Sixteen Love!


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